Dagestani native deported from Georgia despite defence's protests

Georgian authorities have handed over to Russia a native of Dagestan, Batyr Magomedov, against whom a case had been initiated in Russia for involvement in the armed underground. The defence's arguments of the threat of his unjustified criminal prosecution were ignored, said Gela Nikolaishvili, an advocate.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 23, a Georgian court decided to deport Batyr Magomedov, a native of the Dagestani village of Novy Khushet, who had served his sentence imposed for crossing the Turkish-Georgian border.

"His relatives have no connection with him and no information about where he is," said the advocate, inviting Russian human rights defenders to find information about Magomedov's fate.

Gela Nikolaishvili has explained that Magomedov had spent four years in a Georgian prison. The decision to deport him was made on the grounds that Magomedov had no documents.

Magomedov himself was categorically against his deportation to Russia, since he treats the case initiated against him there as unjustified.

The court demanded to present proofs that Magomedov would face danger in Russia. "We informed the court that his relatives, two uncles, had disappeared, and Russian law enforcement agencies bodies were prejudiced against this family. But this argument was rejected," Mr Nikolaishvili has complained.